The National tribune., 1887-02-03

themselves the necessaries Of life, because
in their youth they expended their strength
lavishly in rescuing the Nation from deadly
peril Had they done less for her then they
would he able to do more for themselves
now.
These facts are undoubtedly quite as IA
miliar to you as to us. We will simply ex-
press our firm belief that among the dis
abled and dependent soldiers Of your own
personal acquaintance all are justly entitled
to the relief which this bill contemplates,
and We respectfully doubt if you know of
one who should not receive it. What is true
of your experience is true Of every other
mans. What is true of the men of your
former home is true of those of every other
community in the East, North and West.
There remains one thing more. The cost
of this act-supposing it receive your sigma
ture-is being grossly exaggerated to you.
You are being told that it will require from
S5O,OOO,OOO to s75,OOO,OOO year. Aminute's
s;laro4;o, Mill shox, x,o,, bory ,,ranocfar-
Gus this is Twelve dollars month is S144
year. Consequently the enormous number
of 100000 disabled and dependent veterans
could be paid with s14, 100000 and 100000
would only take S2s,SOO 900, which shows
conclusively the absurdity of the statements.
We cannot refrain from saying in this con-
nection, however, that even though the
amount were as great as the opponents of
the bill stated, it would form, in our judg-
ment, no adequate reason for your disap-
proval Of it. Even SlOO,OOO,0OO year added
to the pension-rolls for the next few years
would be very insufficient reimbursement
TO the veterans of the country for the great
pecuniary sacrifices that every one of them
made, and are yet making, on account of
their services in the tremendous war that
they carried on TO preserve her life.
Let us also remind you that if the veter-
ans whom this bill will benefit had not
shown constancy and fortitude that the
world has never seen equaled-if they
had not fought more sanguinary battles
than any armies mentioned in history-if
they had not endured mental and moral
physical strains unparalleled in warfare; in
word, if they had not crushed the rebellion
there would have been none of the smiling
prosperity which has blest this land. The
enormous wealth which has enabled the
Nation to pay its bondholders nearly four
thousand million dollars since 1861 would not
have been possible. The very house in
which you sit considering this bill would
have been now under an alien and hateful
flag and the people Of discordant and Earring
States would be ground down under exorbi-
tant taxes TO support great standing armies.
With a single allusion TO the urgency OF
the relief which this bill contemplates we
have done. If this act of justice is ever
done, it should be now. All other consider
atoms bend before this supreme need. Many
thousand veterans who were entitled to this
relief have sunk into their graves since the
bill intended TO give it to them was first
passed by one of the Houses of Congress.
They died without having received the COM
forts Of home, the medicines and necessaries
of life, which their country owed them
Unless this bill is approved now thousand.
more will also die in penury and wretched
ness before another bill can be prepared and
presented 10 you by another Congress.
These are but few Of the obvious reasons
which we feel should have weight in deter
mining You TO approve the bill There ar,
other considerations of humanity and Ma
tional gratitude, which we feel will occur Z,
you without our mentioning them.
Respectfully, yours,
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE.
AS TO REVENUE REFORM.
II there are any oppressive features il
our system of raising the revenue of tn